Problem is it's so straightforward it's boring. We all know Thriller is the biggest record of all time. Heard the story a million times.
Meanwhile, Thriller as a collection of greatest hits is exceptional, as an album it's actually pretty eclectic. But is it truly that much better than Off The Wall?
There were multiple factors at work for it's success. Paul McCartney synergy, Motown 25, the Incredible videos, and their importance, and of course MJ. Otherwise, OTW and Thriller achieved mostly the same non-grammy results in one aspect, two number 1s each, multiple top 10s and iconic hits and clips.
Meanwhile, Bad is just as good as them both, if not better in some ways, and has more Number 1s. And the best videos and tour of his career. And Dangerous truly is exceptional, for bridging a new gap in a big cultural shift, with a new format to boot. It got Quincys stamp of approval the same as the other 3 records, and it kept achieving success even with so many challengers approaching. And the music on them all remained peerless. The word is peerless. Even if you don't love every song, even if you find parts excessive, well, who else could embody the song as well, and who else really did better? It's just a lot that can be said about the lesser talked about records.